<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Giving up and giving in by birdlight</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22468789">Giving up and giving in</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdlight/pseuds/birdlight'>birdlight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Starting Line [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Romance, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Bucky Barnes Feels, Idiots in Love, Just Add Kittens, Kissing, M/M, One Shot, POV Bucky Barnes, Romance, Romantic Gestures, Sam Wilson Feels, Sam/Bucky - Freeform, Slow Burn, WinterFalcon - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:55:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22468789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdlight/pseuds/birdlight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>By listening to their friends, Sam admits that that maybe, just maybe,  they can make it work</p><p>Part 13 of the Starting Line Series. A series of one shots exploring the relationship between Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Starting Line [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Giving up and giving in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Not much has changed,” Sam said, dropping his one piece of luggage in front of his door.</p><p>“We were gone for two weeks!” Bucky said sitting his own suitcase down. “What did you expect? Everyone to go into mourning?”</p><p>“A welcoming committee wouldn’t hurt,” Sam replied, placing a finger on the ID pad. The door swung open.</p><p>“Hello you two!” A voice called from down the hall. They turned in unison to see Wanda walking towards them, smiling and holding the kittens. “Someone missed you a lot while you were gone!” She came up to them and deposited them on the floor in front of them. They ignored the two men but wandered through the open door.</p><p>“Yeah, they looked like they missed us,” Sam said, opening the door wider. </p><p>“They look a little bigger, but kids will grow,” Bucky added.</p><p>“So did everything go alright for you, in Wakanda?” she asked, a slight hesitation in her voice.</p><p>“It was good,” Sam replied. “Good, glad we went.” </p><p>She relaxed. “I’m glad. I should tell you, I’m taking my own trip there soon, but for different reasons.” She stopped a moment as if she were considering how much she should say. “The team doesn’t like for too many of us to be gone at one time, so I was waiting until you came back. Shuri invited me.”  </p><p>“Is this about…” Bucky asked, feeling hesitant himself. “Vision?”     </p><p>“Yes. She downloaded all of his data, even the information from the mind stone, and believes she can bring him, or a version of him back.”</p><p>“Is that what you want?” Sam asked, his voice going into counselor mode.     </p><p>She sighed and then smiled at them. “I don’t know. It won’t be the same, but I do miss him. We’re just going to...talk about it. All the pros and cons.” She turned her head to look away from them. “I do know one thing,” she said wistfully. “I’m glad we had what we had.” Her head whipped around sharply as she eyed both men, for a moment it was as if she could see into their souls. “We didn’t waste any of our time together,” she said.  </p><p>A silence passed between them, broken by the sound of Sam clearing his throat.  “I hope, whatever you decide, it works out for the best,” he said.    </p><p>“So do I,” Bucky said. </p><p>She smiled again. “I’ll let you two get settled and when I decide I’ll let you know.” She turned to walk back down the hall.</p><p>“Thanks for looking after the kids,” Bucky called after her.  </p><p>“No problem!” She said over her shoulder.  “Oh, Scott and Hope will be here sometime today. Scott’s bringing his daughter!”  They watched her retreat down the hallway. Gem tried to make an escape from the room but Bucky caught her before she went too far. </p><p>“Do you think she was trying to send us a message?” Bucky asked, following Sam into the room. </p><p>“About what?” Sam asked. He opened his suitcase only for Thomasina to appear out of nowhere and sit down on his shirts.</p><p>“About wasting time,” Bucky said.</p><p>“I doubt it,” Sam said. He removed Thomasina who let out a small meow of protest as he sat her to the side. “Don’t you have to unpack yourself or something?”</p><p>“Hey, we need to spend a few moments with the kids. They missed their two dads.”</p><p>“Bucky,” Sam said, turning to let out an exasperated sigh, but there a hint of amusement and a smile hidden behind the sarcasm. Behind him Thomasina settled back down on his shirts. </p><p>Bucky couldn’t help but smile back.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“So promise me you won’t do this again with a spotter?” Bucky asked as Sam put the weights in place after his workout. They were a little wary of coming back here, but Sam didn’t experience any flashbacks. He could talk to Aaron without difficulty and seemed to adjust well to their old surroundings.</p><p>“Don’t worry about that. I learned my lesson.” He wiped his brow with a towel and took a drink. A flurry of activity caught their attention. Hope, Scott and his daughter Cassie entered the gym with Aaron. He led them over to an exercise matt and spoke to them for a few minutes, then Hope and Cassie did some warm-up exercises together, with Hope smiling and speaking encouraging words to the teenager. Scott observed them for a few moments and then walked over to join Sam and Bucky.</p><p>“So you’re pulling Cassie into your world? Sam asked. </p><p>“Kind of have too,” Scott said, his eyes fixed on the trio.. “I don’t like it, you want to think that you can protect your kids, but with us doing this, and her step-dad being a cop, yeah, she needs to learn.”  </p><p>Aaron showed Cassie some basic moves and went through them in slow motion with her. He asked her to attack him; he counterattacked her movies which resulted  with her landing on her back on the mat, but she immediately got up again. Scott visibly cringed and made small noises beside him. Hope came over to join them.</p><p>“Scott relax, she’ll do fine. I was younger than she was when I started,” she said.</p><p>“That doesn’t make it any easier!” He said. “I know you said he was the best…”</p><p>“He is the best, “Sam said. “She’ll be fine. He’ll even help you get over those bad habits of yours.”</p><p>“What bad habits?”</p><p>“Well, your style could use a little upgrading,” Sam said. Scott couldn’t see it but Sam winked at Hope.</p><p> You mean because I learned to fight in prison and didn’t have expensive trainers  doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own! Besides, Hope and I…...” Scott began, but Hope laughed.</p><p>“Scott, he’s just messing with you,” she said. “Street fighting has its uses, Aaron will  just help you...learn some new things.”</p><p>“Nice try,” Scott said, ‘but my ego does not need to be salvaged. I’m fine. I can take care of myself.” He was a good man, but semi famous for his mild acts of almost comic bravado. Aaron waved Scott over and had Cassie try her moves on him. He did the fake attack and to Cassie’s delight, it was her dad who landed on his back on the matt. Hope clapped and went over to hug the girl, much to Scott’s obvious discomfort as he pulled himself up.</p><p>“Good job!” Sam called out. </p><p>“Interesting,” Bucky said as he watched Scott  ruefully join in the laughter with Hope and his daughter. </p><p>“What?” Sam asked.</p><p>“They work together but somehow seem to be able to make it work,” Bucky said.</p><p>Sam crossed his arms and gave Bucky a side eye. “That’s different.”</p><p>“Yes, it’s different. They work together fighting bad guys, have a relationship, but it’s different.”</p><p>Sam turned his attention away. Bucky hoped he had given him something to think about.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That evening, after the kittens fell into a deep sleep Bucky took a walk around the compound, finally ending up outside in the courtyard. The sun had disappeared over the edge of the building, but there was still enough light to cover everything in a soft glow. A movement to the side caught his attention.</p><p>“Hey, “Sam said making his way over to where he stood. They didn’t face each other, but looked up at the sky together.</p><p>“Hey,” Bucky responded. A single star appeared above them.</p><p>“So I’ve been thinking...about today, about...what Wanda said.”</p><p>“About not wasting time,’ Bucky supplied.</p><p>“Yes...and ...about….”</p><p>“What I said, about Scott and Hope making it work…”</p><p>“That too.” Now they turned to face each other. “Maybe...we can make this work,” he said.</p><p>Bucky said nothing but moved closer, placing his hands on Sam’s waist. He didn’t pull away.</p><p>“The thing is, I don’t want to sneak around…” Sam began.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Bucky said, playfully pulling him closer and looking him straight in the eyes. “Sneaking around might be...fun.”</p><p>Sam smiled at him. “But at the same time, I don’t want the outside world to know. The media, the press…” </p><p>“I get that,” Bucky said, keeping his eyes focused deep into Sam’s. “Although we’re going to be creative about that, I mean, not sneaking and keeping it quiet at the same time.”</p><p>“And we can’t let it compromise our mission. We can’t let it get in the way of…”</p><p>“I realize that, I accept that,” Bucky said. Now Sam’s arms were around him, he was aware of the sensation of his hands on his back. “There’s just one thing…”</p><p>“What’s that?”  Sam asked.</p><p>“What do we tell the kids?” He asked, moving still closer.</p><p>“Bucky,” Sam said, matching his movements. Now there was barely any space between them. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>Bucky gave into the delicious pressure of Sam’s hands, body and lips against his own. He was warm and the rapid rhythm of their hearts beat together as they stood there in the twilight.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>